


Cherish

by MoodyAquarius



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-01-02 21:32:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21168206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoodyAquarius/pseuds/MoodyAquarius
Summary: After reaching a breaking point with Minthe, Hades cuts ties with his past, unaware of the treasures awaiting him.





	1. Thin Ice

**Author's Note:**

> Planning on making this a multi-part series, tell me what you think

Hades’ air caught in his lungs as he saw a delicate blue hand he recognized gripping Minthe’s wrist. He felt paralyzed in the moment, just staring at the two of them. Minthe tugged her wrist away in a jerking motion, shoulders rising as she opened her mouth to hiss at Hecate, but before she got the chance the blue goddess said,

“Minthe, I have stood by and kept my mouth shut for so long. I have tried and tried to tolerate you, for Hades’ sake, but time and again you prove yourself to be an absolutely unstable wreck of a person.” Her voice was sharp, sticking a verbal knife into Minthe and twisting, “And now this…” 

The budding tears that had been resting in the corners of Minthe’s eyes grew too large and spilled over, falling down her cheeks, she collapsed into herself, putting her hands over her face and sobbing. Hades, despite having just been physically and emotionally assaulted by her, felt a twinge of compassion toward her. He looked at Hecate, who read his expression and huffed.

“You know I have to suspend you.” She said cooly, knowing Hades wouldn’t say it. Minthe sniffled but nodded, staring down at the floor, shaking from the aftershocks of her rage. “Good.” Hecate stood, arms folded defensively, with a large snake-haired woman at her side ready to take Minthe away. Hades gave her a look, she knew him well enough to know he wanted a moment to speak with her. She nodded once and stepped only a few steps away, still untrusting of the nymph. 

Hades sighed, looking down at Minthe, scrubbing the back of his neck, feeling the sting on his cheek begin to subside. “Minthe…”

She burst into tears again, throwing her arms around his neck in one last-ditch effort to trap him in her claws. He pushed her away, stepping backward, looking at her with those stern, serious eyes, “Minthe. This is over.”

Her rage returned and she screamed, “WHY, SO YOU CAN  _ FUCK _ PERSEPHONE!?” 

He scoffed, disgusted, glaring at her. “Leave.” he snarled, “Now.” 

When she didn’t Hecate and the other woman grabbed her and dragged her away. Hades stared after her with teary eyes, feeling his heart shatter. He didn’t remember the rest of the day, he didn’t remember how he got back into his office or how he got home. He felt almost in a state of shock. He’d often seen the rage that resided within her but never thought she would strike him or cut him so deep with her words.

_ WHO WOULD WANT TO BE WITH SOMEONE WHO RESEMBLES THE GREATEST TYRANT WE’VE EVER KNOWN?! _

She knew his trauma with his father, she knew how badly he’d been hurt by him. When Kronos made the world suffer he’d made his own children suffer a hundred times worse. His mind drifted backwards in time to dark places. Years spent inside him, wishing he could die, screaming until he lost his voice, begging his father to show some shred of compassion, his cries going long ignored. 

Cerberus bumping his head into his thigh jolted him out of his memories. He blinked and looked down, patting his head, “Thanks.” His inner child spoke from within him, rattling him,  _ I want to talk to Persephone, she reminds me of mama.  _ His heart pumped unevenly, skipping a beat. He felt exhausted from the emotional circus that was today, sighing deeply and lying in his bed, closing his eyes and praying for sleep to take him away and help him forget. 

He tossed and turned, picking up his phone, scrolling through emails, trying to distract his racing mind. He regressed through the years, feeling all the progress he'd been trying to make slipping away. 

_ You have his eyes. _

_ His hands. _

_ His skin. _

He felt his heart drop into his stomach and break as he realized he really had to be done with Minthe. A part of him worried he'd never do better. She has him so convinced he isn't worthy of love. He kept wondering what he did wrong to make her lash out so viciously.  _ What did I do to make her so angry with me?  _

His phone buzzed. He picked it up, squinting at a message from Hecate that read: 

'Call me'

So he did. She answered, "Hades." 

"Hey." 

"How are you doing?" 

He sighed, not knowing how to answer that question. 

“How are you feeling?" 

"Bad." He closed his eyes, lying back in bed, "I thought I'd feel better but I don't." 

"Give it some time." She tried to sound reassuring, "At least you won't have to see her at work.." 

"Yeah.." his mind drifted to Persephone again. 

"I hope you start feeling better. It was the right decision.." 

"Thank you. And thanks for… being there."

"Always, old friend. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Hecate." He pulled the phone from his cheek and clicked end, seeing it was only 10:18 PM.  _ Is it too late to call Persephone?  _

He shook his head, trying to clear the thought. The urge to speak to her remained.  _ Stop. She has her own life to live. It's not like she would ever consider me anyway… I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear the problems of an insecure old man..  _

She's so beautiful and kind… young and sweet.. pure and innocent in a way that made him feel guilty for thinking about her so much.  _ A goddess like her deserves the world… what can I give her besides my cold, dark realm? I don't understand why she wants anything to do with the Underworld…  _ He was still confused as to why Hera had assigned her to work here in the first place and why she seemed eager to work here. He thought of the last time he'd seen her. 

Walking away from him and Minthe in her tiny little white dress with a wounded look on her face, then picking up speed and running at an inhuman pace, bursting through an opening in the building, floating in a window, looking back over her shoulder at him, her white little cape flowing behind her. He swore he could see sparkles around her, making her glow and radiate an otherworldly elegance and beauty. He stared, stupefied by her, eyes wide. 

He remembered the last time they talked.. her voice sounded.. wanting.. lingering… as she said goodbye. It was Saturday, right in the middle of her three day weekend.  _ Call her.  _

He gulped. The urge magnified. He heard his own small, much younger voice speak within himself,  _ I want to talk to her.  _

"Fine!" He shouted out to no one, then clicked on her contact and called her. He listened to the phone ring, feeling his heart beat slow and hard as he awaited her answer.  _ I shouldn't be doing this, I shouldn't be doing this, I REALLY shouldn’t be doing this…  _

"Hello?" Too late. Her small, sweet voice paralyzed him. 

His voice came out rushed, "H-hello, Persephone, I-I'm s-sorry for calling so late.." there was a pause.  _ Oh fates, this is a disaster, she probably thinks I'm a huge weirdo!  _

"It's not  _ so  _ late.." she said, rather matter of fact, then, softer, "Is something wrong, Hades?" 

_ Yes. I'm not with you, that's what's wrong. Stop!!  _ "I...Y-You mentioned you had the weekend free…" 

"I did.." she said slowly, sounding increasingly confused. 

"I-I.. C-could I meet you somewhere in Olympus? I.. I could use a fr-friendly ear.." something is definitely wrong with Hades. Persephone's eyebrows rose on her forehead, worried about him, answering almost immediately, 

"Of course. Where?" 

"Whatever is easiest for you, Kore.." she blushed as he used her other name, not quite resenting it as much when mama did it. "I'm asking a lot as it is.." his voice trailed off, sadly.

"You are not." She corrected him, pressing her phone to her shoulder as she slipped a borrowed hoodie from Artemis over her small blue dress. "There's a park near where I live.. I could send you the location?" She offered, slipping into sandals. The weather was still warm outside, even at night. 

"Works for me." He was amazed she was willing to do this. 

"Alright I'll text you the address!" She chirped, filled with excitement to see him. "Bye!" 

"Goodbye, sweetness." He responded, pulling the phone from his head and looking down at it, amazed. A nervousness crept into him, twisting his stomach in knots. He got up from his bed, pulling his shoes on, still dressed from work. He gathered his wallet and keys from his dresser then descended the staircase, headed toward his garage. As he made his way there he paused to make sure the dogs had food out, which they did. He grabbed his coat from his coat rack, slipping it on and walking out into the large garage. His phone buzzed in his pocket, Persephone had sent him her location. He felt his heart in his throat.

_ Oh gods, he called  _ me!  _ I didn’t call him this time…  _ Her stomach filled with butterflies, skittering around. She also felt nervous, wondering what had happened. He sounded upset. She stuffed her phone in her bra and made her way out of her bedroom quietly, sneaking down the hallway toward the door. She made sure to bring her house key with her, casting a glance behind herself as she closed and locked the door. 

She walked quickly down the hall to the elevator, slipping in and pressing the ground floor button, imagining meeting him in the darkness, finding him standing alone by a park bench. She made it to the ground floor then hurried out, walking to the park by memory, she’d been there several times now. She smelled a lovely floral breeze in the air, rolling through the warm summer night. The moon hung lazily in a blanket of thin dark clouds. 

Soon she was at the park. She wandered toward a field of flowers, checking on some of the flowers she’d grown earlier. Her mind wandered, thinking about nothing in particular. In the distance the hum of a car engine approached. She turned and sure enough saw a black car pulling into the small parking lot. She walked toward it, waving. The lights died, car shut off, driver’s side door opening. 

She smiled and watched him get out of his car, eyes locking with his immediately. She bit her lip to suppress how hard she was smiling, feeling her cheeks grow warm, casting her eyes down at her feet. She heard a soft beep as he locked his car, approaching her, dressed all in black, his voice low and only for her as he said, “Hello, sweetness.”

She looked up, getting an eyeful of his handsome face, catching eyes with him again. She saw his dimples make an appearance as he smiled back at her. She took a small step toward him, gazing up at him, feeling lighter than air, “Hello, Hades.” He took a step toward her, she gave him a look of concern. “So, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

He chuckled, “Straight to the point, huh?” 

“You sounded upset.." her voice rose in concern, taking on a nurturing tone. The god just smiled a crooked grin that looked a little forced, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

He began walking down a trail in the park, Persephone followed at his side, stealing glances at him. He sighed, looking around, searching for others in the park but they were alone as far as he could tell. She tugged softly at his sleeve and when he looked down at her his heart thudded unevenly at her wide-eyed gaze. “I…” he cleared his throat, "S-something happened today at work.. with Minthe.." 

Her eyes grew wider, waiting patiently for him to continue. 

"W-we were talking and she.. uh.." he scrubbed a hand through his hair, looking like he didn't want to say it when he sighed, "I suggested Thetis wasn't her true friend.. and sh-she.. hit me." He gulped, "then said some really nasty things and.. I th-think she would have hit me again if Hecate hadn't shown up.." 

When he looked down at Persephone he had to stop walking, noticing she had stopped a few paces behind him, staring sightlessly in a red-eyed rage, fists clenched hard, knuckles white in fury. She began to rise off the ground, red thorns growing through her cropped short locks, her jaw held tight in anger. 

Hades blinked, taken aback, thinking she was the most powerful, gorgeous being he'd ever seen. He stepped toward her, worried she may hurt herself in her anger, he reached out to her, "Kore, I'm alright, I.. I am.." he didn't sound very convincing even to himself.

Persephone's voice was thick with rage, " _ Where is she? _ " He wrapped his long fingers around her wrists, pleading, 

"Kore, take a deep breath for me, please," 

" _ Where is Minthe? _ " Her expression only intensified. 

"I'm not sure, sweetness." He tried to pull her back down to the ground, gently, trying to calm her down as he cooed, "Kore, breathe, please," 

She did as he said, huffing out an angry breath, ranting, "I don't know who she thinks she is treating you the way that she does. It infuriates me." She lowered back softly to the ground, taking deep breaths, trying to reel her anger back in. 

"Hecate suspended her.. and we broke up." He reached a gentle hand to her, offering it, "I'm so sorry to have upset you with this, Kore.. barging in on your life, bothering you with all my troubles..." 

"Hades." She met his eyes, hers beginning to drain of the enraged red, "I.. I.. Whatever she told you.. it's not true. You are not a burden. You are my friend, I care about you.." her eyes began to sparkle with moisture. "You deserve so much better than that." 

He felt himself get emotional, trying to accept her words, hearing Minthe's insults ringing in his ears. It was hard to truly believe Persephone with his self esteem so battered and broken. Suddenly he felt weak, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He felt his lip tremble and he moved off the trail to sit on a park bench, letting his head fall into his hands, voice shaking as he said, "I don't know why I let my life go this way.." 

She followed him, sitting beside him, pulling his hands from his face to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug. He stiffened initially but it didn’t take long before he melted into it, closing his eyes as her body sunk into his, hugging her and holding her tight like he did in Tartarus. His fingers buried in her hair, breathing her in and tightening his arms around her.

The embrace was charged with a sense of desperation. Hades' breathing calmed, pulling her back ever so slightly so their eyes could meet, faces mere inches apart, "Kore.." he started, not quite sure where he was going with it, just wanting to say her name.

She smiled, gazing up into his burning crimson eyes, "Yes, Aidoneus?" She pushed a stray lock of white hair that had fallen over his forehead. 

"Kore, I.."  _ I'm in love with you _ , "W-would you… w-want to go for a drive?" 

Her face lit up and she nodded delicately, climbing off his lap and getting on her feet, unable to take her eyes off him. "To anywhere in particular?"

He looked away from her, face flushing a deep blue, "N-no, unless you have somewhere particular in mind?" He raised an eyebrow at her as they walked toward his car. 

She considered for a moment then shook her pretty little head, “Nowhere in particular...”

The handsome, smirking god just smiled at her, she looked up at him with earnest eyes. It took everything in him not to just reach out and take her beautiful face in his hands and kiss her worries quiet.  _ Stop. She's going to be a virgin for eternity… _

That thought really crushed him. He led her to the passenger side of his car and opened her door, watching her gracefully lower herself into the seat, gnawing on his lip in frustration. He shut her door behind her then walked around to his side, trying to silence his frenzy of pining thoughts.  _ She's a friend, treat her like a friend... behave yourself.  _

He sucked in a deep breath as he got into his seat then shut the door behind himself, clicking his seatbelt and turning the car on. "You're not going to ask to drive?" He raised a teasing, accusing eyebrow at her. 

She laughed softly and gave him a heart-stopping smile, "No, not this time." 

_ Fates, I am in deep trouble.  _ He gripped the steering wheel, turning the lights on then reversing out of the parking spot. He could feel her eyes on him. It toyed with a flickering hope that resided within him, a hope that maybe he wasn't imagining her liking him in return.

_ YOU'RE LUCKY I EVEN CONSIDER YOU!! _

Minthe's sharp words rang in his mind, reopening wounds. Persephone noticed the change in him, her voice sweet, "Hades?" 

"I'm fine," he answered, too quickly. She fell silent, stealing worried glances at him. He drove down the street and got onto the highway leading to the Underworld, pretty much by force of habit. Persephone didn’t say a thing. He felt guilty, like he’d messed up or made her uncomfortable, which was the last thing he wanted to do. He agonized over his words, wondering what he’d said wrong, replaying their conversation in his mind. Before long they arrived at his home, he clicked a button and pulled up into the garage as it opened. He parked and turned the car off, closing the garage behind them, sucking in a deep breath, ready to apologize for his behavior.

Before he got the chance to say anything a delicate little pink butterfly landed on his hand. His eyes widened, staring down at the tiny thing before slowly turning his head to look at her. She was glowing, a little more than usual, a flush on her skin, coloring her cheeks, chest and shoulders. All he could do was blink stupidly at her, caught like a moth in her light. Her pillowy lips parted softly as she said in a small voice, “I’m worried about you, Hades…” He met her eyes, noticing her perfect eyebrows pulled up in an expression of concern. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

_ Only everything. I want to tell you I think I love you.. I want to believe you could love me too..  _ He sighed, lifting his hand and looking at the little butterfly as he said in a low, sad voice, “I wouldn’t want to burden you with it all..” He lowered his head sadly and stepped out of the car, walking over to her side and opening her door for her. She looked up with an almost irritated look on her face. She didn't utter a word and got up out of the car, following at his side as he went to open the door leading into his home. 

He led her in, "I trust you remember where everything is? If not just ask." He paused, then cocked his head ever so slightly, "Are you hungry, little goddess?" 

She nodded once, meeting his forlorn expression.  _ What did Minthe do to you?  _ Her eyebrows drew together on her forehead as she tried to figure it out. She watched him as he turned his back on her to rifle through his fridge, trying to figure out what he could make for them.

"So, I could make spaghetti and meatballs, pizza, caesar salad, uhh.." 

"Spaghetti and meatballs sounds amazing." Her voice was timid.

"Oh perfect, that's easy too." He flashed her a dashing grin. She watched as he began to prepare their meal, mesmerised by him. He is the full package, why would Minthe treat him so badly?  _ He's everything I never knew I wanted…  _ Lost in her thoughts, Persephone sat in relative silence, watching him cook. He began secretly panicking, wondering if he'd done something wrong. 

Soon enough their meal was ready and Hades presented her bowl, "M'lady.." she blinked out of her daze. He grinned, "Anything to drink?" 

"Water's fine." She spun her fork around, catching noodles in the thick red sauce, everything smelled amazing. She remembered that snide comment Minthe had made to her, flaunting Hades' cooking ability right in front of her, teasing her. Oh how the tables had turned. But not exactly, to Persephone's dismay, Minthe still held a higher rank over her, she had given Hades the one thing Persephone can't, and that is: sex. She felt out of her depth all over again, thinking herself into a corner with worry. 

"Kore?" Hades' soft voice broke her out of her stress-trance. She blinked up at him, trying to recover as smooth as possible, blinking her heavy lashes at him, asking softly,

"Huh?" 

"Is something wrong with the food?" He raised a worried eyebrow, noticing she'd only taken one bite. 

"I'm sorry, I'm in a weird headspace right now.. I can't get over the fact that she hit you… it's making me really mad." 

He sighed softly. "It's in the past.." 

"You didn't deserve that. No one deserves that and it infuriates me to think that she hurt you." Hades watched with wide eyes as Persephone crushed his metal fork in the palm of her hand, disfiguring it and dropping it in a twisted metal heap on the counter. She blinked, red draining from her eyes. He felt an excited rush of blood fill his pants at the sight, intimidated by her yet aroused. Her voice trembled as she continued, "If I'd been there… ooh.." 

He bit his lip, entertaining the idea, "What if you had been there?" he fantasized her going red-eyed and scratching Minthe’s eyes out.  _ You’re a sick fucker.  _

She turned her eyes on him, still half-red, "I would have crushed her into a little pebble." She looked down at her fork, realizing what she’d done her expression became apologetic “Oh gods! I’m sorry, I… didn’t realize…” Hades was certain he's in love. He got up to grab her another fork, gazing at her, thinking she couldn’t be any sexier. He handed her the new fork, teasing, 

“Try not to bend this one, alright, sweetness?”

They finished their meal, Hades politely suggested, "I'll go make up the guest room.." Persephone wanted to tell him not to, wanted to say she wanted to sleep with him, but she couldn't find the words. When he returned from 'making up the guest room' she gazed up at him with wide, childlike eyes, asking, "Could we watch a movie?" 

He just smiled down at her, "If that's what you'd like." She nodded softly, taking a timid step closer to him. The tension in the air between them was palpable. "I think you'll find my movie selection to be a little less than preferable, I hardly ever get time to myself and when I do I read or swim..." he shrugged a little. 

Persephone nodded, "Makes sense.." giving him a side-eyed flirtatious glance, imagining him reading to her in that sexy, low voice of his. It sounded better than any movie she could think of. Now to ask him to read to her in a way that doesn’t sound weird…. She chewed on her lip, trying to formulate a smooth way to trick him into doing it. 

He chuckled, finding her nervous face adorable, “What’s on your mind, sweetness?”

“W-well, if you prefer reading… m-maybe you could.. read... to me instead?” 

He laughed softly, smiling down his long nose at her, teasing her, “You want me to read you a bed-time story?” 

“No!” She shouted, huffing and folding her arms across her large chest. “I never used those words.”

“But that is, essentially, what you’re asking for, is it not?” He grinned wide at her.

Her face was bright red, he decided she’d had enough teasing and scooped her up in his arms, catching her off-guard and delighting in the little gasp that escaped her. “What are you doing?!” she giggled. He carried her up to his study, where he kept the majority of his books. She squirmed and laughed, wriggling in his arms, “Haa-aades!!” He couldn’t help but steal a glance at her round bottom hoisted in the air, barely concealed by a short blue dress. 

They reached his study and he set her down gently on her feet, walking over to his bookshelf and beginning to browse, “Hmm… Well, what are you in the mood for? Horror? Adventure?  _ Romance? _ ” He wiggled an eyebrow at her, they both burst into a fit of laughter.

"Definitely not romance!" She giggled and walked up to the bookshelf, using her powers to levitate up to his level, browsing through his collection. "Wow, you have a lot of books.." her small fingers flipped through the titles gently.

"I've been around for many years, little goddess.." he quirked a thick eyebrow at her, she blushed.

"That's right…" she cocked her head at one title that read: The Odyssey. She plucked it from the shelf, eyeing it carefully. The copy looked very old.

Hades' lips quirked, "That one is almost as old as me." 

"Let's read this!"

"Are you sure? It's not the most exciting read.." he warned. She didn't care, smiling and chirping in response, 

"Even better for a bedtime story.." she laughed softly. He caught a blush on her cheeks, gazing at her. She blushed harder. He cleared his throat and kicked himself mentally, pulling his eyes away from her. 

"Could.. W-Would it be alright if.. we read it in.. your bed?" Her face was on fire. He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, his heart fluttered. He had to remind himself not to overreact. 

"Y-yes, of course, if that's what you'd like sweetness.." the room felt hot. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, his clothes felt tighter, it felt hard to breathe. He led them out of his study, up the stairs to his bedroom, his heart doing jumping jacks in his chest. She hadn't been in his bedroom before. Suddenly the entire situation felt different. He tried to snap himself out of it, reminding himself not to blow anything out of proportion.  _ Quit it, she's innocent, she doesn't want you in that way. Knock it off.  _

They made it to his bedroom, she waited for him to open the large double doors. He revealed his master bedroom with a cute, nervous grin on his face, "Well, here it is.." 

As she stepped in, her eyes widened at the surroundings, taking in the overall darkness of the room. Off to the left was a large walk-in closet, to the right was what looked like a door that led to a bathroom. In the center of the room was a gigantic bed. Her wide eyes and silence had him concerned. 

"Kore?" 

She giggled, "Your bed is huge!" She held the book to her chest, walking over to his bed, then looking backward, "May I?" 

He nodded, looking at her like it was a silly question. She slipped her little shoes off then climbed up on his high, large bed, making herself comfortable then patting the space beside her. 

"I don't bite…" her voice made him tremble, shaking something deep within him. He joined her on the bed, kicking his shoes off and slipping his suit jacket off his shoulders. She watched his nimble fingers begin to undo his tie from the corner of her eye, peeking, feeling her stomach do flips at the sight. Once he was comfortable she handed the thick book to him, stealing a glance at him. 

"I thought we could start toward the end, it gets more interesting there." He smirked down at her. She just nodded, gazing up at him. They maintained a distance between them as Hades opened the book and began flipping through, searching for where he wanted to start. He squinted at the book then admitted, bashfully, "I need to grab my glasses.." 

Persephone just giggled, thinking he couldn't be any cuter. He reached over at his bedside table, picking his glasses up and unfolding them. She looked down at her feet then up at his face, which only got more handsome with the added glasses balancing on the bridge of his nose. He continued flipping through the book for a moment, saying "a-ha!" as he found the passage he wanted to start at. 

He cleared his throat, then began, "On the other part are two rocks, whereof the one reaches with sharp peak to the wide heaven, and a dark cloud encompasses it; this never streams away, and there is no clear air about the peak neither in summer nor in harvest tide. No mortal man may scale it or set foot thereon, not though he had twenty hands and feet. For the rock is smooth, and sheer, as it were polished. And in the midst of the cliff is a dim cave turned to Erebus, towards the place of.." his voice melted into sweet, low music in the background of the small goddess' feverish thoughts that ran through her mind. 

_ So close.. I could reach out and touch him he's so close,  _ she gulped, trying to focus on his words but finding it near impossible. The proximity to him was too much for her to handle. They'd only been close like this a handful of times and each new encounter made the inexperienced goddess quiver with want.  _ Want to touch him, want to be closer.. wonder what his lips taste like.. if he tastes as good as he smells…  _ she felt her mouth water, trying to harness her wild thoughts back in. 

_ First I have to get out of this scholarship… then if by some insane luck he was interested...  _ her mind trailed off, imagining what it might be like to press her lips to his. The smooth, low timbre of his voice lulled her into a half-conscious, heavy lidded trance. 

His heart skipped as he felt the weight of her head on his arm. He couldn't help but steal a glance down at her, feeling his heart swell from the sheer adoration he felt for her. He stopped reading for a moment to whisper, "Kore?" 

She made a weak attempt at a response, mumbling some sort of affirmation that he couldn't quite decipher. He smiled, setting the book aside and turning his full attention to the sleepy goddess leaning into him. He felt every beat of his heart radiate throughout his limbs as he gently, slowly shifted her down to lie properly in the bed, tugging his dark comforter down to tuck her into it, pulling the blankets up to her shoulders. She hummed and shifted on her side, giving him full view of her lovely peaceful face resting on his pillow. 

He got up to turn the light off, returning to the bed, lying atop the sheets beside her. The separation between their bodies by the blanket was the only thing keeping him sane. His mind began racing. He stared up at the dark ceiling, feeling his eyes adjust. 

She hummed once more then said, clear as day, "Hades," he snapped his eyes to her face, her eyes were shut.  _ Is she talking in her sleep?  _ He smiled. She wiggled her little arm up out of the blanket, reaching toward him and whining, "Come closer." 

His heart was in his throat. He stared at her for a moment before slowly, gradually lifting his side of the blanket and getting beneath it beside her. As soon as she felt him there she clung to him like wild ivy growing up a brick wall. He felt his throat close up, stunned into silence. She hummed happily, arm and leg thrown over him, holding tight. He felt himself burn. 

He would gladly burn for her. The pain of keeping a distance from her had been eating into him for some time. To have her close like this seemed to undo that damage and all he wanted was to be closer. Having the burden of Minthe off his shoulders made him feel even more ready to pursue this  _ thing _ with Persephone. 

He turned on his side, opening himself up to her embrace. She wormed up into his chest, scooting closer as the space became available. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and burying his nose in her silky hair, inhaling that intoxicating scent that was so uniquely  _ her.  _

For the first time in a long time, he fell into a deep sleep, feeling like no time had passed at all and woke up feeling refreshed yet confused as he looked down and found her still in his arms, cheek pressed to his chest. Time didn't feel real, he wasn't sure how they'd gotten here. Her eyes fluttered softly, gripping the muscle that rested beneath her hand, murmuring half-awake, "MmNo." 

He chuckled, "No to what, sweetness?" 

She blinked a little more, waking slowly in layers, eyes focusing on him. He released her slowly, not wanting to startle her. She reached up, touching his cheek, blinking at him, "No to you letting me go…" she blushed fiercely, tiny blue flowers blooming from her head. She scooted back into his arms, gazing up at him, voice shaky as she tried to explain herself, "H-Hades, I.. I like being.. near you.." he was blushing at her just as fiercely, cheeks ablaze. Her soft voice shook, "I.. Y-You make my heart beat so fast.." she put her hands on either side of his handsome face, gazing up at him.

He opened his mouth but could only manage a strange squeaking noise. He cleared his throat and replied in his usual low, melodic voice, "I enjoy being near you as well, Kore.." he moved his large hands up over hers, blinking at her, then sighing and moving away from her, muttering something and walking off to the bathroom. 

She looked around his room, amazed they'd actually spent a night together, sleeping in his bed. She blushed, imagining what it might be like to do more… Her hair had grown while she slept. Carelessly, she reached over at the side table, opening the drawer, thinking he might have scissors. 

Looking down into it she spotted an envelope.  _ Don't pick up that letter. You can't do that. It's a total invasion of his privacy. You can't do this…  _

Her fingers skimmed the paper, her curiosity driving her mad.  _ Don't.  _ She listened for a sound from the bathroom, it sounded like water was running. 

_ I'll skim it and put it back before he comes back…  _

She picked the envelope up, shocked to spot her name scrawled on it. She opened it.

"Dear Persephone, 

My therapist has assigned me the exercise of writing letters of what I would hypothetically tell others about what I'm feeling." 

Her eyes skimmed, 

"This feels ridiculous to admit, given that I've only known you for 4 days. But… I have feelings for you. I haven't been in love before. I always assumed that being in love would be something that would happen over time… not all at once." 

Her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't believe what she saw there on the paper. The bathroom door opened suddenly and she was caught. His eyes widened as he realized what was in her hand. His jaw dropped. She sniffled, tears falling down her cheeks, "I'm sorry, I-I'm s-so sorry, Hades, I.. I was looking f-for scissors for my h-hair.. I.." 

He couldn't feel angry at her, he even tried to and the feelings wouldn't appear. He should be upset with her. He gulped, taking a step toward her, "Why are you crying?" 

"Is-is this true?" She wiped her eyes. He moved to join her on the bed, sitting in front of her, looking down at her longingly. 

He felt his heart pound in his throat, his mouth dry and his stomach in knots. No more hiding anymore… he nodded softly, gazing at her, "Every word.." 

Her tears grew larger. He worried he'd done something wrong until she reached up, cupping his cheeks. Before he could ask her what was wrong she softly pressed her lips up against his, making the world stop all at once. 

In shock he froze, stunned at the miraculous feeling of her warm soft lips pressed against his. She opened her mouth against his, letting out a warm shaky breath, snaking her arms around his neck and leaning into him. His brain finally started working again, lips moving with hers slowly. He pulled back, blinking at her in disbelief. 

"Persephone, I.." he felt drunk off that one intoxicating kiss. "Is this real? I have to be dreaming." 

"You have feelings for me?" Her eyes sparkled. He gazed, lost in her, nodding helplessly. "I'm sorry I read it, I.." 

"I'm not." He leaned in for another kiss, then stopped, meeting her eyes with that stern look he often wore. "Wait, what about your.. scholarship?" 

"I was planning on giving it up.." the clear look of want on her features drew him nearer. Blue petals sprouted and fell from the crown of her head, her hair growing rapidly as her freckled face lit with a stunning blush. 

"Y-you were?" He watched the gorgeous goddess nod once, still gazing at him with her large, heavily lashed, magnetic eyes. "Since when?" He managed to choke out.

Her pillowy lips parted to say, "Since I decided that I want you.." 

Hades' face lit up bright blue, his eyebrows shooting up on his forehead. He shook himself, sure this was a dream. He reached out to touch her to solidify the reality. When his fingertips brushed the smooth skin of her neck they both trembled. 

"I.. I'm new to this, I.. might not be any good, but-" Hades silenced her worrying with a kiss, hovering over her, trying to maintain some distance between their bodies, knowing things could get out of hand very quickly. Her response to him was maddening. She basically wrapped herself up around him, clinging and pulling him down into the smooth softness that was her body. He had to pull back for air, gasping and stroking her cheek affectionately as he huffed, 

"Y-You've g-got to go easy on me, sweetness, this is a lot to process.." he chuckled, still in disbelief. 

"Sorry," she giggled, her little hands dancing up and down his large forearm. "It's even better than I imagined.." her eyes glued to his. 

He ran a hand through her waist-length hair, "How long have you felt like this, Kore?" 

"How long have  _ you  _ felt like this?" 

"Since the moment I saw you." He gnawed on his lip, a little embarrassed at how quickly he answered her question. It felt good to finally get it all off his chest. "I think you're incredible.." 

Her eyes filled with tears again. His eyebrows shot up in worry. She shook her head, trying to dispel his fears, "Happy tears.." she clarified, her voice filled with emotion.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Kore.." he planted a soft, solid kiss on her forehead, then her temple, then cheek, "I'm sorry if that's a lot to hear right now.." he stroked her hair aside to kiss her neck tenderly, amazed at how soft her skin was. He felt her little arms wrap around his neck, hugging him close and crying softly, whispering, 

"I think I love you too, Hades." He pulled back to look into her eyes, feeling his heart pound, rattling his ribcage. They just stared at each other for a long moment, both waiting for the other to make a move. He stroked her cheek, wiping a tear away and smiling down at her. She smiled back at the sight of his dimples, mirroring him and giggling, "Can we kiss again?" 

He chuckled and scooped her up into his arms, sweeping her up off the bed only to wrap his arms around her hips, holding her securely to himself, her legs wrapped around his middle. She looked up at him with wide eyes. He smiled, stroking her cheek fondly, leaning into her lips and pressing a soft kiss, pulling back and whispering, "If this is a dream I never want to wake up." 

She smirked around the shape of his lips, molding hers to fit, tilting her head opposite of him, closing her eyes and leaning into his mouth. She could kiss him forever. His lips were surprisingly smooth and plump, tongue sly, darting around to get little tastes of her. The kiss soon became heavy, Hades pulled back breathing heavily, panting, "Sweetness," 

She petted his face, hands on his cheeks, laughing softly, "Yes?" 

He held her far above his rapidly growing bulge, shooting her a mischievous grin, "W-we're going to have to stop here for now..." 

She smiled, understanding his meaning instantly, giving him a slightly dark look, sensing his arousal, "Overwhelming?" 

He nodded, setting her down on the ground gently, running a hand through his hair, sure she could see the bulge in his pants now. "You're just so beautiful I.. please forgive me.." 

"Nothing to apologize for." She smiled and took his hand to press a kiss to it. "I.. I want to.. explore those things with you.. in.. time.. of course." Her face was bright pink.

He smiled and leaned down to give her a reassuring kiss, "If there's one thing I have it's time.." he stroked her warm cheek again and sighed, "I'll wait as long as you need, love." 

She felt her heart swell, gazing dreamily up at him, falling for him even harder. He was so gentle and patient, gracious to be in her presence. She felt important. Needed. 

"So what do you want to do today?" She chirped. 

"I think breakfast would be a good start, don't you?" He chuckled at her. She nodded and bounced at his side, 

"Sounds perfect!"


	2. Melting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update. Xoxo

Persephone hovered near Hades as he stood cooking in the kitchen. Her eyes glued to his hands, watching him stir and flip, mesmerized by his large, skillful hands. She never thought she could be so drawn to a person. Since kissing him all she could think about was when she would get to kiss him again. Her eyes trailed down his large body, feeling her heart race in anticipation. She couldn’t believe the ferocity of her need. It started deep in her stomach and radiated out through her bones, making her yearn and ache to be near him again, hence the hovering. 

Hades couldn’t suppress the smile on his face, though he tried to. It was persistent. The feeling of her little body so close was overwhelming. He forced himself to pay attention to cooking their breakfast, stirring scrambled eggs and flipping pancakes though he felt an entirely different type of hunger from her being so near. His eyebrows jumped as he felt one little warm hand slip into his pocket. He chuckled, “Trying to rob me, sweetness? I’m afraid I left my wallet upstairs.”

She just smiled deliriously, stepping behind him to wrap her arms around his middle. Hades quivered. In all the time he’d been with Minthe she had never hugged him so affectionately. He felt his throat close up, not sure how to respond to such a loving gesture. Her voice was muffled because she spoke into his back as she hugged him, but he heard her say, “No, I just want you.” 

He shut the burners off and pushed the pans aside, abandoning the meal, too absorbed in this little goddess. He turned in her arms, smiling down at her as she released her arms around him to paw up at his chest. He took her little hands in his, gazing down at her, “Persephone..” 

“Yes, Hades?” she had to crane her neck up to meet his eyes. He remedied that by picking her up, holding her so they were face to face as he brushed noses with her, voice soft as he said, 

“Kore, I… I’m sorry but.. M-may I kiss you again?” 

She giggled at the sincerely apologetic look on his face, “Uh, yes!” 

He tried to explain himself, “I’m sorry, it’s just… I’m so old and you’re so young, I… how could I be worthy of such a gift?” his anxiety amplified, “Fates, your mother is going to kill me.. And Artemis… Hestia even… I..”

She pressed two fingers to his lips, “Hades, breathe.” she moved her fingers and waited for him to take a breath. He took a deep breath, then sighed, casting his perpetually sad eyes down. She grabbed his jaw and pulled him in for a kiss. It started soft and sweet but soon she was in charge, taking control of his mouth, cocking her head and sucking his bottom lip. He shuddered and stumbled a step backwards, bumping into the countertop, gripping her hips as he battled her lips for control. He whimpered when she tugged at the roots of his hair, tightening her legs around him simultaneously. They broke the kiss to gasp for air, their eyes each glowing with wild light. 

Her voice came out husky as she said, “I don’t care about the consequences.. I don’t care what anyone thinks or says about us.” She kissed him more gently, pulling away and gazing, “Now that I have you… I can’t just let you go.”

He felt blood rush south at that declaration. Hearing her take ownership of him like that… he felt the same way about her, holding her tight in his arms. “Is that so?” he felt himself blushing, feeling dizzy and hot. 

She nodded, biting her lip and reaching out to run her hands through his thick, light colored hair. She tried to say without words that she wanted to do more than kiss. She tightened her legs around his waist, pressed her chest hard against his, all her petting touches. She hoped her message was getting through, too embarrassed to ask for more, afraid it was all too soon and he’d reject her.

Her message was definitely being received. The naive goddess was oblivious to the clear signs of pleasure on his face and in his body language. He groaned, setting her down on his cold, hard marble countertop, huffing breathlessly, “Kore.” Their eyes met. She blinked up at him innocently. 

“What? Did I do something wrong?” he studied her face, sure she was messing with him. He shook his head softly. She curled her legs around him, pulling him close and wrapping her arms around his middle again. She felt him try to tug away and looked up at him with confusion, until she pulled him close enough to feel a hard bulge in his pants. She blushed deep magenta. 

He pulled away immediately, mortified. 

"I b-better finish making breakfast!" He tugged away from her and turned his attention back to the food, needing a distraction before he lost all self control or died of embarrassment. 

She giggled and perched atop one of his barstools, watching him finish cooking their breakfast. He filled a plate for her and set it down in front of her with a fork and cup of orange juice. 

"Would you like some coffee?" She looked down at the meal set before her with amazement, then up at him, nodding gently. He grinned and spun around to turn his little espresso machine on. 

"Hades, I.. this looks amazing, thank you." She picked up her fork and stabbed a bit of scrambled egg, feeling her stomach grumble. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the delicious scent of his breakfast caressed her nostrils. 

"Well, you are my guest, what kind of host would I be if I didn't feed you?" He took a bite of a strip of bacon, watching the dark espresso drip. 

She smiled and took another bite, tasting the pancakes and humming happily. "This is delicious."  _ Could he get any more perfect?  _ She gazed at him, already wanting to kiss him again. 

He caught her gazing and smirked, "What?" She blushed, embarrassed, shrugging. "Oh come on, sweetness, you don't have to be shy around me." He smiled, baring his teeth in a dazzlingly white grin. 

She bit her lip, looking away then up at him again. She looked down at her food, stabbing a piece of pancake. "I just.. can't believe you.. want me.." 

He brought two tiny little cups of espresso over, setting one in front of her and sipping at his. "Ditto, sweetness." She giggled and continued eating. The two ate in silence, besides Persephone's happy grumbles. He still couldn't believe she'd spent the night with him. They finished breakfast and Persephone asked, "Can we swim?" 

"Don't you know you're supposed to wait after you eat, little goddess?" He smirked down at her, taking her empty plate. She reached up at a curl in her hair, spinning it around her finger. Hades turned back, the look on her face stopped him in his tracks. 

"I.. I suppose if we just wade in the shallow end…" he ran a hand through his hair, looking perplexed. She bounced with happiness, then stopped, remembering, 

"I didn't bring a swimsuit." 

He imagined her swimming naked in his pool and it made his face burn and blood rush south. Persephone swayed nearer, reaching up to run a hand down his hard stomach, peering up at him. He reached down to stroke her cheek. She began to float, hovering in front of him, smiling at him. He smiled back and reached up to cup her cheek, leaning in for a kiss. 

"Mmm," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. She felt a bulge against her knees. She pulled back to look up at him. 

He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it as she asked, “Is that because of me?” 

He couldn’t believe the bluntness of her question, looking at her with wide eyes, blinking and clearing his throat, “W-well, y-yes.” 

“You want me.” it wasn’t a question. That turned him on even more. 

“Yes.” he sounded strangled. 

She bit her lip, lowering herself back to the ground, eyes locked on the front of his pants. He felt like he was on fire. Her intense eyes flicked up to his as she asked, “Can I see it?” she grinned devilishly. 

If it weren’t for his grip on the countertop he would have passed out. He gulped, trying to come up with a response, feeling naked under her gaze. Instead of responding he just gave the goddess what she wanted, reaching down at the front of his pants, locking eyes with her, making sure this is still what she wanted. The look of desire on her face nearly knocked him out. 

Slowly, he unbuckled his belt, leaving it hanging open on his hips. He looked up at her again, making sure. Her expression did not change. He unbuttoned his pants, meeting her eyes as he pulled the zipper down over his straining erection. He saw her lick her lips. 

He met her eyes once more before pulling the waistband of his boxers down, shivering softly as his dick sprang free. He watched her face as her eyes fell on it they doubled in size. A jolt of pride shot through him at that reaction. A crooked smile quirked his lips upward. 

“Hades, wow… I…” she looked overwhelmed. 

He chuckled, “What did you expect?”

“I mean… I knew it would be big.. But…” her eyes widened. “Wow.” 

He grinned, filling with masculine pride and a desperate desire to see her with less clothing. She approached him slowly, looking up at him with her large eyes.

"Can I touch you?" 

He wheezed, feeling like the air got knocked out of him. He felt himself harden. He just nodded helplessly, "If that's what you want, sweetness.." 

He gasped as her little fingers wrapped around him. He watched her study him, tugging at him slowly, watching the silky skin move up and down. He whimpered, "Ah, Kore.." 

She pulled her hands away, "Did I hurt you?" 

He shook his head fiercely, "Quite the opposite." She smiled and reached out to touch him again, watching his face twist in pleasure as she tugged curiously at his long shaft. "K-Kore, f-f-fates.." 

She felt her confidence in this newfound skill begin to grow. She felt powerful being able to bestow pleasure on a god so intimately. She'd never known this type of power. She wondered what it would be like to seal her lips around him. 

"S-sweetness, I.. I c-can't.." 

"What's wrong?" 

His voice was deep and rough, "W-We have to stop here.." 

She frowned, not wanting this game to end. There was so much to explore. A part of her knew Hades was right and this was all much too soon but another very real part of her was consumed by curiosity and a newfound lust that clouded her mind. Before she could make another move Hades tucked himself away, kissing her cheek and vowing, "In time, love," 

"Hades," she tugged him down to kiss his neck, sucking on his warm skin, "I want you." 

"Sweetness, you're making this very difficult." 

She laughed, petting his handsome face. "I know. I'm sorry." 

He grinned and gave her a kiss, "No you're not." 

She giggled, "I.. I'm sorry, you're so handsome.. I.. I've never wanted anyone like this.." 

They locked eyes, a lovesick look shared between them. He picked her up and carried her to the living room, keeping her in his lap as they sat. He lifted her tiny hand to kiss it, smiling down at her. "Am I your first crush, Persephone?" 

She nodded, blinking her heavily lashed eyes slowly at him, her heart racing. "Hades, I.. I want you to touch me." 

His eyebrows darted up, "Y-you do?" 

She nodded slowly. "Yes." 

"Sweetness, I'm not sure I can.. without going too far.. I.." 

She chuckled, "I trust you." 

He met her eyes, "You're so gorgeous, Persephone.. what could you possibly see in me?" 

She frowned, taking his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Hades, I don't know what Minthe did to your confidence, but you have to know what a catch you are.." she kissed him softly, pulling back, "Looks aside, you're sweet, kind, caring, funny.." she stroked his cheek, "You've been so gentle with me, since that first night I stayed here.. then, Tartarus.. you.. I feel so safe with you.." 

"Y-You really th-think all that?" He watched her nod. "I.. I worry I've been putting you in danger and the more you're with me the.. the more likely it is you'll get hurt.." 

She shook her head, thinking of Apollo. "No. I.. I feel safer with you." He saw her face fall. He reached out to stroke her cheek. 

"Sweetness, what's wrong?" 

She shook her head, "I'll tell you later." She leaned in for a kiss, burying her fingers in his hair. His response melted her heart. He softly, slowly moved his hands up to her waist, tugging her tight against himself, breathing her in as he deepened the kiss. 

"Mmm," she hummed against his lips and pulled back, smiling as she softly ground her hips down against his. He hissed, shutting his eyes and gripping her waist tighter. She scooted back softly to pull her hoodie up and off her body, revealing her little blue dress. She leaned forward, pressing her chest to his and whispering in his ear, "Touch me, Hades.." 

He groaned, sliding his hands down her body, resting over her round behind, gripping the large, firm globes like he'd imagined many times before. His brain short circuited from the overstimulation, feeling himself harden against her body. "Kore.." 

She smiled, leaning into his neck, kissing his warm skin. Her fingers began working at the buttons on the front of his shirt. He gripped her ass, groaning again. She leaned back, smiling, pulling his hands from her behind to rest them on her chest. He had an adorable look of surprise on his face. She chuckled, "What?" 

The blush on his face lightened his usually dark blue complexion. An electric cyan blue rested across his cheeks and nose. She felt his fingers twitch around her breasts before tightening, groaning as he felt the incredible weight resting in his palms for the first time. He closed his eyes and sighed, "Kore," 

She closed her eyes as well and leaned further into him, putting her entire body weight in his arms. He didn't protest. She reminded herself of his significant strength, assuming her body weight was nothing to him. He circled her breasts timidly before brushing his thumbs against her nipples, opening his eyes to watch her reaction. 

She cooed softly, reaching at the straps on her dress and bra, tugging them down her shoulders. Hades stiffened, "Kore, a-are you s-sure?" She nodded immediately without hesitation, snapping her eyes open, getting an eyeful of the handsome, nervous god. 

"Yes, Hades, I'm positive." She smiled at the sight of his worried brow. She reached up to stroke it, trying to ease his worry. "I've thought about this for a while now…" 

"Y-You have?" He sounded strangled. He wrapped his arms around her, eyes lighting in a red blaze. She nodded, leaning up into his lips, making that delicious connection they were both dying for. She encouraged his hands to roam, making whimpering sounds as they slowly explored the shape of her. She felt almost tortured from his slow, steady movements, aching for him to dig his fingers into her. He was deliberately gentle, showing his incredible self-control. She wondered if it was their age difference. She guessed he'd experienced feelings like this before, unlike her.. everything was brand new to her. 

His lips on her jaw pulled her out of her thoughts. "Ah," her voice came out a plea, wrapping her arms around his neck, planting her spread legs on either side of his lap. Her straps still hung at her shoulders. As he kissed down her neck his hands slowly snuck around to her back, unhooking her bra in one swift movement. She sighed from the release of pressure, shimmying out of the bra and dress, stepping backwards off him to push her clothes to the ground in a heap, standing in front of him in only her lacy white thong that did nothing to hide her from him. 

Hades gulped hard, blinking several times to make sure he was in fact seeing what was in front of him. He'd never seen a goddess so gorgeous, so stunning. She blushed and crawled back into his lap. He felt his heart rate increase the closer she got. She reached up to run her fingers through his messy hair, voice low and sultry, "Would you mind giving me a massage?" 

His brain and mouth weren't working together, he shook his head fiercely. She smiled and moved to lie on her stomach atop his couch. He had to be dreaming. He just stared at her ass for a full minute before she asked, 

"Uh, Hades?" 

"S-Sorry, sweetness," he shifted on the couch to lean over her little body. She scooted toward him, legs across his lap as he began to rub at her shoulders. He was in a daze, unable to believe how velvety her skin felt under his hands. He felt a jolt of guilt, thinking he'd coaxed this young lady into this somehow. He dragged his long fingers down her spine slow, with pressure but not too much, "Is this okay? Tell me if I'm being too rough." 

She hummed happily, "It's perfect." The feeling of his big strong hands rubbing into her was almost too much to handle. She felt her low stomach tighten and her middle tremble. He continued massaging into her small, delicate muscles. There was tension buried in them to his surprise, he wondered what a sweet little thing like her could be so tense about.  _ Don't be condescending.  _ "You can press a little harder if you want." The clear flirtation in her voice made him tremble. He let his hands drift further, thumbs rubbing circles into the adorable little dimples above her butt. She moaned in pleasure, feeling tension fall away under his wonderful movements. She wondered what else his hands could make her feel, blushing into the couch. He continued, then drifted to grip a butt cheek in each hand, massaging into them and growling to himself. She moaned, "Haaaades.." 

Hearing her moan his name like that sent a jolt through his body that went straight to his dick. "Sweetness.." 

She rolled over, looking up at him with aroused, hooded eyes, "Don't stop.." he started massaging her hips, gazing at her.

"You're the most beautiful goddess I've ever seen, Persephone." He leaned down over her to press a kiss to her sternum, gauging her reaction before hovering over her breast to suck a nipple into his mouth. 

She whimpered, arching up into him, shoving her breast harder into his mouth, "Ahh, Hades," she whined.

He sucked as much of it as he could, rubbing at what he couldn't suck on. Her moans picked up pace, becoming slowly louder. He broke from her breast with an obscene popping sound, chuckling, "You like this, little goddess?" 

She nodded fiercely in response, gnawing on her bottom lip, feeling sensations rippling through her under his touch. "Don't stop." He moved his attention to her other breast, making sure it wasn't excluded. He moaned against her velvety skin, making it buzz. She wiggled under him, reaching up to cup his cheeks, gazing at him lovingly. He smiled down at her then began kissing down her middle, starting at her sternum and kissing down her ribs and belly. His thumbs rubbed circles into her hip bones as he pressed warm kisses into her skin. She shuddered, he felt her shake. He pulled back, cautious, watching her expression.

She reminded herself this is  _ Hades _ and he is nothing like Apollo. He is gentle, sweet and caring. She opened her eyes to look up at him, smiling, "I trust you." 

His thick eyebrows were still twisted in concern as he asked, "How far do you want this to go, sweetness?" 

"You can take my underwear off.." she blushed and looked up at him. He looked stupefied, hands on her hips, eyes wide and locked on her face. 

"Y-You're sure?" She nodded, her hair growing as she gazed up at him. His fingers dipped beneath the white lace, eyes on her face, "If at any point you want me to stop just say the word." She nodded once more with no hesitation in her expression. Her heart pounded in nervous anticipation as his long fingers slowly tugged her skimpy underwear down her thick thighs. She lifted her butt off the couch to let him pull the fabric further down. He let the garment fall to the floor, turning his attention to the now fully nude goddess lying on his couch. He had to remind himself to breathe. When he didn't move Persephone's eyebrows drew up in worry. 

"I'm sorry, your beauty stunned me into silence and paralyzed me..." his voice was low and smooth, thick with want as he leaned over her, eyes all over her incredible body. Just as she began getting nervous he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her stomach, mouth trailing downward slowly. His lips eased her concerns but also made her heart beat faster, her limbs filled with a spastic excitement she could barely contain. 

She gasped when he pressed a kiss to her soft mound, kissing where the underwear had been resting. He rested a hand on each of her thighs as he kissed lower, slowly pushing her legs apart, murmuring praises into her warm skin. He stopped to ask, "Kore, is this still okay?" 

"Yes, yes I'm okay." He resumed, sinking his teeth into the delicious smooth flesh of her inner thigh, groaning, still convinced he was dreaming. "A-ah," she jolted slightly as the playful bite turned into kisses. While his mouth was busy his hands began kneading into her thighs, working them further apart. Her breathing became ragged.

He pulled back, grinning, "Are you alright?" 

"Mmhm!" She nodded enthusiastically, burying her fingers in his hair and gazing down at him. His smile deepened, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her other thigh, sucking on her velvety magenta skin. She whimpered, making him purr against her, 

"I love you, Persephone." He lifted his lips from her skin, gazing at her pretty little pussy before leaning down to press a kiss to her. She jolted and let out a squeak. He pulled back immediately, "I'm sorry, sweetness, I'll stop." 

"N-no! No! I… I'm sorry it's just that.." she ran her fingers through her hair nervously, "I've never done this before." She smiled bashfully up at him. 

He froze, looking down at her, solemn like a handsome statue. "I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have.. you shouldn't.." 

"Hades," she grabbed his face, yanking him from his thoughts. She pulled him closer for a kiss, blinking up at him through misty eyes. "I want this, I want you. I'm sure of it.. I just.. I-I'm afraid.." 

He nodded slowly then reached over at a folded up blanket that sat in his reading chair. It was a gray plush blanket made of some type of faux fur that was silky to the touch. He draped it over her, pulling it around her shoulders, wrapping her up. 

She looked up at him with a confused grin, a curl falling into the middle of her forehead. Hades just smiled softly and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, voice low as he said, "You can have me whenever you want me, I'll wait as long as you like, sweetness." 

She snuggled up to him, wrapped in the warmth of the blanket, gazing up at him, "Really?" 

"Really. I'm not going anywhere, Kore." He stroked her cheek, staring adoringly at her. She nuzzled into him, making herself comfortable in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, watching blue flowers sprout from her head, sighing happily, feeling content for the first time in a long time, "I'm in no rush, love." 


	3. Thaw

Hades’ morning commute was interrupted by flashing images behind his eyes. He couldn’t stop seeing her naked body. His mind kept playing it on repeat.  _ Focus on the road, come on. _ He blinked and looked out at the road in front of him. Magenta flashed behind his eyelids again.  _ This is going to be harder than I thought…  _ He felt his pocket buzz. He wondered who was trying to get ahold of him. 

His mind drifted again, wandering around in those warm memories of her being so near… so close. As he pulled into the parking garage he caught a dopey grin on his face in the rearview mirror as he parked in his reserved spot. He bit his lip, chuckling to himself. He shut the car off and pulled his phone out of his pocket to find a text message from Persephone. He opened it, it read simply: “Good morning.” He opened the message to send back:

“Salutations, sweetness.” He stuffed his phone in his jacket’s chest pocket, grabbing his travel coffee mug and getting up out of the car. He locked it behind himself, walking through the brisk underground parking structure to the glass room that held the elevators inside. He wondered how working with her will be now. He hoped they could both maintain a level of professionalism, though he was more worried about himself than he was about her. It was hard enough to even stand near her before but now… the need is all-consuming.

As he stepped into the elevator he felt his phone buzz against his chest. He pulled it up to look at it, taking a sip of coffee. He squinted a little, hating that he needed his reading glasses to see texts, feeling like an old man. It read: “Do you have lunch plans?” 

The elevator let him off in the lobby. He walked across the large open space, murmuring a hello to the ladies sitting at the welcome desk who ogled him rather obviously. He made his way across to another elevator, pulling a sugar cube out of his pocket to offer to the little pixie operating it. Once inside, with the doors shut, he texted back: “I don’t. Where would you like to go?”

He opened his email and sifted through junk and actual messages, waiting to reach his floor. She responded quickly, the message reading: “Actually I have something in mind, can I meet you at your office? Around noon?” He lifted an eyebrow at this, wondering what this little minx was planning. He smiled, texting back:

“Noon it is. I can’t wait.” She had no way of knowing this, but Hades loved surprises. He considered himself to be quite good at planning romantic surprises. He remembered, with a bad taste in his mouth, all the romantic gestures he’d set up for Minthe that had gone unnoticed or unappreciated. He felt almost afraid to open that part of himself up again after being met with such harsh criticism.  _ Persephone is different, she’d never do the things Minthe did.. But what if I do disappoint her and she just doesn’t have the heart to tell me?! Which is worse?? Is she pretending to like me?!  _

The elevator “ding” yanked him from his anxious, self-loathing thoughts. As the doors opened he put on his happy face, displaying that cool, casual look as he walked down the hall toward his office. As he reached down to unlock the door he was assaulted by the image of Persephone’s naked body behind his eyelids once more.  _ This has to stop.  _ He groaned to himself and twisted the doorknob, walking into his office and shutting the door behind himself. He stuffed his keys back into his pocket and strode across the room to his desk, setting his coffee cup down and pulling his phone out as it buzzed again. 

“Perfect, see you then. :)” she responded. He stared at the message for a moment.  _ If only I had a picture of her, I could just… handle it then get on with my day..  _ He snapped from the thought, feeling disgusted with himself for thinking it.  _ It’s only practical.  _ Stop! He argued with himself, feeling guilty for wanting her.  _ She’s so sweet and.. Pure…  _ He closed his eyes, trying to remember the shape of her hips, her huge perky breasts and tiny underdeveloped nipples.

“Gah!” he threw his hands up in the air in frustration with himself. He sat at his desk, reaching at his computer and logging on, typing in his login. As it booted up he glared at himself in the reflection of the screen.  _ You have better self control than this. You are almost two thousand years old and you have nothing to show for it!  _ He frowned at the computer as it pulled up his home screen. He clicked on the internet icon and reached for his coffee, logging into his email and beginning the arduous task of corresponding with different branches of the Underworld. 

About fifteen minutes later his office phone rang. An unfamiliar voice came through the intercom, announcing “It’s Hecate calling.” He remembered that someone had to be filling in for Minthe, since she was suspended and all. He clicked line one and answered, 

“Just the person I wanted to talk to actually, funny you should call..” 

“Oh yeah? How are you doing, Hades? Hanging in there?” she sounded cautious. The last time they had talked he’d been in distress. It was only natural for her to be concerned about her best friend, considering the state he’d been in. 

“Much better than that, old friend,” he got a cheeky grin on his face, wondering if he should tell her or not, but he knew he was going to anyway. Who else did he have to tell? His dogs? “Do you remember when you told me to listen to my therapist and actually try writing those letters to people?” 

“I do, yes.” She sounded intrigued.

“Well I did, and… the other night Persephone was staying the night and she happened to find the letter.”

“She was  _ staying the night _ !? You are aware that she's a TGOEM member, aren’t you!?”

“She’s actually not, she said she’s been wanting to quit for a while now, but that’s besides the point. I’m not the bad guy here!”

“ _ Please _ tell me you didn’t sleep with her, Hades..” Hecate sounded exasperated.

“No! Of course not!” He was offended, “I’m not like  _ that!  _ Give me  _ some  _ credit!” 

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry it’s just that you don’t have the best track record when it comes to these things.” 

He rolled his eyes, “I’m aware, thank you. We just kissed..” He changed his tone, thinking about her again, “Hecate, we… I.. I love her. I love her and I really don’t want to screw this up. She asked me to lunch today, she’s meeting me here at noon.” 

“Huh,” she said, considering, “Her idea?” 

“Yes.” he could hardly contain his excitement. “I’m so nervous.” 

“I’m happy for you, Hades, I really am. Just be yourself, she obviously likes you already. She wouldn’t be wasting her time otherwise.” 

“You know her better than I do.. Do you really think this is real?”

“I do, Hades, she’s a smart girl and I don’t think she’d play games.” Hecate paused, “But what I really called to talk about are those expense reports, did you sign them?” 

“I’ll do it now. Good talk.” 

“Bye, get some work done!” Hecate teased.

“I will! Bye.” he hung up and turned his attention to the stack of papers on the corner of his desk. He sighed and picked it up, pulling them apart and signing mindlessly. Some time passed, he finished his coffee and glanced at the clock. It was 10am. He popped his knuckles and continued signing, glancing at his phone, hoping for another message from Persephone, though he knew she was working too. 

He closed his eyes and saw her naked body again. He imagined her voice saying ‘One hundred percent scoundrel,’ He groaned.  _ Dammit, little goddess, let me work!  _ A flood of memories poured into him. He forced himself to focus on his work, trying to continue without being bothered. He tried to remember what she tasted like for that brief second he got to taste her sweetness, making his mouth water. “Come on.” he tried to reason with himself, staring at the stack of papers in front of him. 

He heard her whimper in his head ‘Ah, Hades,’

“Fuck it.” he grumbled to himself and walked across the room to lock the door then returned to his desk, sitting in his large chair, reaching down to unbutton his pants, yanking the zipper down hastily and groaning as he pulled himself out, hissing at the open air surrounding him. He wrapped his hand around himself, keeping his eyes shut, imagining her. 

_ That big round ass, how it felt in my hands… kissing down her body, the feeling of those incredible, thick thighs,  _ “Ohh,” he murmured to himself as he started sliding his grip up and down, biting his lip, trying to remember how she sounded when he touched her. He tried to conjure up a memory of her whining his name.  _ Looking at her lying there on my couch, totally naked… waiting…  _ “Fates,” he hissed, picking up his pace, other hand gripping the armrest of his chair. He imagined her little hands on his cock, moving up and down. He thought even harder, trying to imagine her pretty little mouth around it. He grit his teeth, fighting away the guilt and striving for his release, making his imagined Kore whimper as she slid up and down his hardness. He groaned at the thought of being inside her, picking up pace and imagining her bouncing on him, her face twisting in ecstasy, whimpering his name. “F-Fuck,” it all became too much and he snapped his eyes open, jolting, grabbing a tissue and cumming into it with a whimper, his mind still racing with images of her. He was grateful he was alone. He cleaned himself up then zipped his pants back up, tossing the tissues in a little trash can hidden under his desk. He let out a sigh of relief, hoping to get some work done before lunch.

“Sorry, which category does this go into again?” Persephone smiled apologetically at the shift supervisor as she held the scroll up for his examination. 

He took one quick look at it and commanded, “Deeds. Tally those up with the mortal’s deeds.” 

“Thank you.” she chirped quickly, embarrassed that she had to ask. Her mother had instilled a fear of failure in her daughter when she demanded perfection with every line of written work she’s ever done. Every test, every assignment, perfect spelling and punctuation were a must. Even with her mathematical pursuits, one wrong equation meant no dessert. Failing at anything felt life-ending. She felt shame for every mistake she’d ever made, knowing she had to do better, pushing herself further and further into a rigid model of perfection. 

She glanced up at the clock as she filed the scroll away into the proper location. Fifteen minutes to noon.  _ Thank gods.  _ Her stomach twisted in excitement and nervousness. She couldn’t wait to see Hades again, chasing this newfound feeling of joy that he brought out in her. Nobody had ever made her feel so simultaneously calm and chaotic. 

“Hey Persephone, before you clock out will you sweep up your area?” That same supervisor walked past, asking in a measured tone. 

“Of course!” She answered, chipper, sure to show everyone she was helpful and not just some spoiled princess from the mortal realm. She hated the looks her classmates gave her ever since the scandal about that photo of her and Hades had been leaked. A part of her wanted to believe he could never tear out someone’s eye. Another, more real part of her knew that he was every bit capable of such an act. 

It scared her. It intrigued her.

Hades was a whirlwind of contradictions. Incredible strength coupled with a gentle tenderness. Though she’d never seen it she was aware of an anger and darkness that resided within him. She knew in her heart that it was there, just like how she knew her own darkness was there. For so long she’d fought to keep that part of her concealed, but around him happiness felt effortless and definitely not forced. 

She wandered over to a supply closet, trying not to look too dreamy or in her head as she opened a door and pulled a broom and dustpan out. She walked back over to her area with a secret grin on her lips, thrilling in the fact that the King of the Underworld would be having lunch with  _ her. _

And it wasn’t just any old lunch. She had woken up early this morning to prepare a four course meal for the two of them. Artemis caught her in the kitchen, not daring to say a word, just giving her that look and walking on by. She swept her area, making sure to do a good job of it, crouching down to gather it all in the dustpan. She hummed as she walked it over to the trash. She returned the broom and dustpan and grabbed her work bag, heading to the locker room to change out of her work clothes. 

She was only working half days right now, going to school in the evening. She had dropped a class without telling her mother. It was a journalism class that she really didn’t enjoy. Plus, everyone in that class had been staring daggers at her for weeks. She meant to talk to Hades about the whole eye-gouging situation but it just didn’t seem as important anymore and she didn’t want to ruin lunch. They could talk about it later. 

She opened her locker and began stripping, changing into the dress she’d brought. She’d bought it while shopping with Eros, he insisted she buy it after trying it on in the store, it was light pink, silky and clung to her curves in a flattering way, with full sleeves and a skirt that draped down to the floor from her knees. She pulled it over her head then sat to change out of her sneakers and into a pair of pink heels. She stood in front of a mirror, running her fingers through her short hair, exhaling nervously and looking at herself, tugging at the dress, turning to her side to check out her profile. She frowned at the tiny pudge of her belly, turning away and grabbing her things. 

She pulled her phone out of her backpack, 11:55.  _ Sugar snaps! I’m going to be late.  _ She opened her phone to text Hades, “Sorry, might be a little late, I’m on my way.” She shoved her phone back into her bag, checking on the tupperware containers at the bottom of it, making sure nothing had spilled. Everything was fine, she stuffed her work clothes and shoes in then zipped it up, slinging the bag over her shoulder and walking out of the locker room. 

She made it to the elevator and pushed the button for Hades' floor, feeling her stomach flutter with anticipation. She was excited yet nervous for him to try her food, she hoped her cooking was up to his standards, knowing now what a fantastic chef he is. She reached his floor and took a deep breath, gulping and stepping out, her heels clicking as she walked. She passed several offices, a nervous grin on her lips as she approached the large doors of Hades' office. She took a deep breath then knocked softly. 

His voice came through the door, a bit muffled but clear enough to discern he said, "Come in, sweetness." She pushed on the large door, feeling tiny as she walked in.

"Hello," she let the door fall shut behind her, smiling up at him. Their eyes met, locking on each other. There was a fire in his eyes, peering at her through a cloud of smoke around his head. She realized, glancing at his cigar, that he was smoking. She wondered if he was nervous too. She walked up to his desk, feeling his eyes on her as she set her bag atop the hardwood, zipping it open, stopping to grin at him. "So, I made lunch." She pulled out the tupperware containers, handing one over to him. "It's chilled, nothing needs to be heated up." 

He looked stunned, looking down at the container in his hand, then up at her, crushing his cigar into an ashtray and smiling at her. "You made lunch f-for me?" 

"Yes," she looked shy, blushing and casting her eyes down. "I thought it'd be nice to just.. be alone here.." she bit her bottom lip while grinning, making his heart beat irregularly. 

"I.. I can't r-remember the last time someone made me l-lunch.." that admission made her heart ache for him and her anger for Minthe grow stronger. How could anyone abuse such a sweet, generous man? It made her seethe with anger. Hades saw red drain into her eyes. "Kore?" 

She snapped out of it, blinking the red away and pushing one of the two chairs in front of his desk over to his side. She grabbed two disposable forks from her bag, handing one to him and opening her container which held two lettuce wraps, hummus, chips and a mix of fresh salad with strawberry vinaigrette. He opened his, looking down at it with lifted eyebrows. 

"This looks delicious, sweetness." 

"I hope you don't mind the lack of meat." She chuckled softly, dipping a chip in her scoop of hummus. 

"Not at all, it's.. refreshing." He lifted the lettuce wrap to take a bite, murmuring happily at the crisp freshness of it. "Mmm, what's in this?" 

"Tzatziki sauce, tofu, lemon rice, cucumbers, peppers and a little feta cheese." 

"Inspired." He licked his lips and took another bite. They ate the rest of their lunch in relative silence, with small intervals of Hades' compliments. "Really, Persephone, this is amazing. Thank you so much for making this." 

"You're welcome." She smiled up at him, wiping her mouth on a napkin before leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. He surprised her by wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her up into his lap, kissing her back hard. Her eyebrows jumped up on her forehead and she reached up to place her hands on his cheeks gently, whimpering as their tongues met. 

She pulled back to gasp for a breath, he did the same. A chill raced up her spine, making her wiggle and press herself against him more firmly, wrapping her arms around his neck to anchor herself there and lean into another warm kiss. Her little hands slid up into his hair, fingers gripping in knots as she tilted her head up to his, giving him more tongue. 

This time he pulled back, gasping, "Kore," she felt his big hand on her lower back. She ground herself into him, diving into his neck to kiss it, feeling her head swim from the combination of his cologne and natural fire-in-winter smell. "Kore," he said again, like a prayer, hands on her hips, digging into the silky fabric of her dress. "Sweetness, I.. m-may I touch you?" 

She nodded, ducking her head into his chest, under the crook of his neck as his big hands gripped her ass, a cheek in each hand. He groaned. She felt him harden against her. She felt her mouth water, need for him coursing through her veins. 

"Ohh, Kore, I missed your perfect little body." He sunk his teeth into where her neck met her shoulder, making her shudder, shivering,

"F-far from perfect.." 

"I disagree." He murmured against her heated skin, causing a ripple effect throughout her body, setting her nerves ablaze. He released her ass, drifting his hands up her back, around her hips, caressing the softness of her stomach. "You are absolutely, positively perfect, sweetness." He stood from his chair suddenly, lifting her effortlessly with himself, arms wrapped around her, whispering against her collarbone, "I can't get you out of my mind." 

The desperation in his voice did something to her, it sent a ripple out from inside of her, radiating through her legs, making her feel like jello in his arms. He walked them over to a black futon, setting her down softly and walking over to the door, sliding the lock shut. 

She giggled, delirious, "What are you doing?" She watched him prowl near her like a cat stalking its prey. His eyes were hooded, intense and locked on her. She felt his eyes walk up and down her. 

"You're so gorgeous." She blushed, trying to hide it behind her hands, covering her face. He crouched down in front of her where she sat on the couch, prying her hands from her face, instead holding them, lacing his fingers in between the spaces in hers. "Persephone, I don't want to do anything before you're ready, I want you to know that. I'm trying my hardest to ignore every instinct I have." She looked down at their interlocked hands, then up at his eyes, a mischievous look on her face. 

"And what exactly are those instincts telling you?" She gazed at him with aroused, half-open eyes. 

He gulped and released her hands, placing his on her shoulders as he whispered into her neck, voice low and sultry, "To please you. To give you anything you want." 

"Oh?" She licked her lips, wanting to know exactly what he meant by that. He planted kisses into her neck, trailing down to her collarbone and chest, dropping his hands to cup and squeeze her large breasts. "Ohh," she sighed, leaning back into the cushions of his couch, giving herself to him, feeling her heart race, but knowing it's what she wants. 

He pulled back from her skin, huffing, "If you want me to stop just--" 

"Say the word." She completed, smiling up at him, "I know." He grinned in response and dove back down to her cleavage, kissing and sucking at the exposed skin, trailing his hands down her sides. "Hades, mmm," 

"Can I take your dress off?" His request was polite, yet desperate sounding. She grinned and sat up so he could reach around to the zipper at the back of it. "You drive me crazy in these little outfits of yours.." he unzipped her and peeled the dress down her body, gnawing on his bottom lip as she shimmied out of it, lying only in her lacy matching white mesh bra and underwear. "Gods, Kore." 

She giggled, cheeks red, freckles standing out against her flushed skin. He drifted a hand across her torso, feeling the softness of her stomach affectionately. She squirmed. He sensed her discomfort and said, "I've always preferred a little softness around the edges.. please don't hide, love, I think it makes you even more beautiful." He kissed at her faint stretch marks on her sides, murmuring between kisses, "You're gorgeous." 

"Let me see you." She tugged at his tie, insisting he remove the offending garments. He complied, reaching down to pull his tie apart, tossing it aside. He then began working at the buttons on his dress shirt. As the fabric began falling down his shoulders he noticed the look of concern in her eyes as they fell on his scars. 

"Old wounds, darling." He let his shirt fall to the ground, sitting beside her. She sat up and reached out at his scars, looking worried as she laid her little fingers on them. "It can't hurt me, love." 

"What happened to you?" Her eyebrows quirked up, letting her fingers drift down his smooth torso, eyes locked on his defined muscles, abs that led down to a very prominent "V" muscle grouping that disappeared into his black slacks. 

"A long story for some other time.." he grinned, watching her paw at his chest and stomach, closing his eyes at the feeling. She pushed him down into the cushions, crawling on top of him, hands still roaming his muscular top half. He chuckled, "Having fun?" 

She smiled apologetically, "I-I've never.. Y-you're just so..." 

"So what?" He had an amused look on his face. 

"Sexy." She completed her thought, leaning down over him to press a kiss to his large pectoral muscle, just above his nipple. He hissed, gripping her, holding her tight against himself. "So sexy.." she murmured into his skin. 

He laughed a throaty chuckle, then ran a hand up her back, gazing up at her, "You're sexy, c'mere." He pulled her in for a passionate kiss, taking her face in each hand, locking jaws with her. 

She broke for air and he took the opportunity to push her down on her back into the cushions, hovering over her and reaching around her to unhook her bra. She let him, lifting herself to make its removal easier. He immediately gave her exposed breasts his full, undivided attention, attending to each separately, sucking, kissing, kneading. 

"Hades, ohh," he continued there for a while before kissing down her torso, tugging her underwear down slowly with his teeth, casting a glance up at her to gauge her reaction. She was panting, undulating on the couch, heaving up and down. He guessed she wanted him to keep going and she hadn't said stop yet. He pulled her underwear the rest of the way down, watching her lift herself to help him remove them.  _ Could this really be? The woman I've been waiting all these centuries for?  _

She let her legs fall apart, gazing up at him, an unspoken trust shared between them. A promise. He leaned down over her to kiss her hard. She responded with enthusiasm, wrapping her legs around him. He gasped against her lips at the wet heat of her against his stomach, burning, begging. He reached down between them, introducing his fingertip to her clitoris very slowly.

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him captive there while he stroked waves of sensation into her. It was the first time anyone besides herself had touched her there. Apollo ignored it completely. Her pleasure wasn't his priority. 

With Hades, everything was different. She was amazed at her body's natural willingness to respond to pleasure. A fear still tugged at her, considering their size difference but she tried not to worry about it, knowing he would take care of her every step of the way. 

He began rubbing faster, circling her clit with his thumb now, voice husky against her, "Does that feel good?" She nodded into him, whimpering as he picked up speed. He groaned, pulling his hand back and watching her squirm from the lack of contact. He crawled down her little body, gazing at her wet lower lips before running his tongue up her, getting a full taste of her. 

"Hades!" She twitched, gripping the cushions beneath her in her fists. He smiled and began sucking on her, swirling his tongue around her clit slowly, becoming acquainted. Persephone was near hyperventilation. He continued tonguing her slowly before gently working a finger into her, groaning at the warm tightness that squeezed him. 

"Ohh, Kore," he sighed against her, sucking her clit into his mouth, adding a second finger slowly, "Tell me if it hurts." 

She winced a little at the addition but quickly adapted, shaking her head, "Feels good." 

He groaned, working his fingers back and forth slowly, hypnotized by her little whimpers and moans. He moved back down to suck on her as he moved his fingers in and out, picking up speed as he did. 

"Hades!" He felt her clench down on him, her muscles tightening. He felt a jolt of energy shoot through him as she pawed at his naked chest, moaning, clearly close to coming undone. Pride burned within him, knowing that he could give her this pleasure. He picked up the pace, continuing to tongue her clit as he did. "H-Ha-ades! Ohh, gods!" She jolted and cried out, spilling out around his fingers, he tried to lap it up before it could stain the cushions, moaning at her sweet taste, thinking she was made to be eaten out. 

He pulled his fingers back slowly as she spasmed around him, gasping breathlessly and reaching around herself. He grabbed his dress shirt and draped it over her quivering body, smiling down at her, "That was a lovely sight." 

"H-Hades, I-I've never.." she tried to regain her breath, "Th-You.. that felt s-so good." 

"I'm glad. Thank you for letting me do that." He leaned down to give her a kiss, sinking into her pillowy lips effortlessly. He pulled back from the kiss stroking her curly, sweaty hair, "You really are perfect, my love." 

She giggled hoarsely, "Whatever you say." 

He stood, picking her bra and underwear up off the floor, handing them to her gently. "Take your time. Or stay naked, I'm happy either way." He chuckled. She laughed in return, swatting at him playfully.

"That sounds like something a scoundrel would say!" He leaned down to kiss her cheek, grinning, 

"Then I'm your scoundrel." 


End file.
